Many courses at APC include work placements, giving students an opportunity to gain valuable experience and contacts before graduation. Selected students may also participate in ProjectBase, which enables groups to work with industry stakeholders on an idea, concept, project, or business plan.
CUA60320
Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design
Enhance your graphic and typographic skills while learning how to establish and negotiate a design brief and manage design realisation.
Delivered by
This course reflects the role of individuals who have highly specialised technical, creative and conceptual skills in visual communication to conceive, negotiate and realise design solutions. Practice at this level is underpinned by the application of visual communication, design theory, history and the ability to critically analyse and synthesise information from a range of sources. Advanced communication, organisational and project management skills are also required. Practitioners may work in many different commercial and community contexts across both print and digital media.
Targeting the practical aspects and employability skills for the design industry, this program will interest those wishing to work as a:
- Graphic Designer
- Multimedia Artist
- Pre-press designer
- Junior Art Director
- Computer Finished Artist
- Illustrator Layout artist
- Packaging Designer
Are you a domestic or international student?
Course Structure
- Design Briefs
- Typography 2
- Packaging Design
- Design for e-Business
- Innovation
- Signage and Wayfinding
- Understanding the Graphic Design Workplace (Work Placement)
Work placement is a mandatory component of this course, providing a framework that enables students to gain relevant working experience while developing specialised knowledge and practical skills in organisational learning and capability development. It takes place in the final term of study and requires 120–135 hours of work placement, attendance at lecture classes and the completion of assessment work. Specific subject requirements are outlined in the individual course documents. It is the student’s responsibility to find and secure a Host Organisation for their Work Placement prior to the start of their final term. APC will support students with resources to secure a Host Organisation prior to the Work Placement.
Student Growth Stories
Equipment:
- Broadband internet access
- A video capable device and/or a digital camera
- Access to a scanner/printer (minimum 1000+ DPI, A4 size)
- Sketchbook, drawing and model making materials
- Laptop (100% Online students may use Desktop computer)
– Apple/ MAC:
macOC 10.13 or newer, 16GB, 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel® Core i7™ or newer, 8 GB RAM, Minimum 40 GB free disk space; recommend 100 GB free disk space available.
– PC:
64-bit Microsoft® Windows® 10 or Windows 11, 6 GB RAM, 30 GB free disk space.
Software:
- Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and XD ($21.99/mth first year, $43.99/mth after that)
- Google Suite (Google Docs, Slides and Sheets included as part of your Student Email Account)
- Relevant software to upload and download video files
Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) is available for all courses, subjects and units of learning and competency being offered by APC and APC Design School.
If you have experience, skills and knowledge in your field of work – you may be eligible or even close to attaining a related qualification.
All APC vocational courses are assessed through a combination of assessment types that may include short answer questions, studio projects, essays, reports, group tasks, portfolios and/or presentations.
Torrens University Australia brings a fresh, modern, careers-focused and global perspective to higher education, with courses providing graduates with a globally oriented skill-set that will make them a valuable contribution to any employer.
| Pathway Course | Number of Credits | Approximate Length of Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Communication Design | 160 Credits | Up to 2 years |
Entry Requirements
Academic:
Successful completion of the CUA50720 Diploma of Graphic Design or equivalent or submission of a sample of work (portfolio) with 5-8 pieces of original creative work. View our Portfolio Guide.
To enter this qualification, individuals must provide evidence of their technical skills and abilities, acquired through work experience or formal study:
- Apply visual communication history and theory to own professional practice
- Produce professional typography solutions
- Produce graphic designs for two-dimensional and three-dimensional applications
- Create and manipulate graphics and design complex publication layouts
English language proficiency requirements:
This Course requires you to be at an Upper-Intermediate English Level or have completed the English Proficiency Skills test with an Overall Minimum Pass Rate.
See below requirements to meet an Upper-Intermediate English Proficiency level:
| ELICOS Provider | Number of Weeks in this English Level | Minimum Attendance | Entry Level Test Required |
| English Unlimited | 8 weeks minimum | 80% | Minimum Attendance achieved |
| Other approved ELICOS colleges | 10 weeks minimum | 80% | Minimum Attendance achieved |
| Absence of ELICOS school proof | YES |
For detailed information please review the documents Minimum Entry Requirements for APC Courses and English Proficiency Tests Comparison chart.
To participate in APC courses students need to have certain technical equipment, software and design equipment. Please check this Technology and Equipment Standard for Students.
Sample Timetable
| DAY TIMETABLE | ||||||
| DAY 1 | 09:00 - 12:00 | Subject 1: Livestream Lecture | 13:00 - 16:00 | Subject 2: Livestream Lecture | ||
| DAY 2 | 09:00 - 12:00 | Subject 1: Studio (on-campus) | 12:30 - 15:30 | Subject 2: Studio (on-campus) | ||
| DAY 3 | 09:00 - 13:00 | Subject 1: Interactive Livestream Studio with on-campus support | 13:30 - 15:30 | Subject 2: Interactive Livestream Studio with on-campus support | 15:30 - 17:30 | Enhance Your Employability Skills (EYES) tutorial |
- The above is a sample timetable. Actual timetables may vary between campuses. Please contact APC to find out more information on the specific timetable for this course at the campus of your choice. Student timetables are available in MyAPC.hub. Click here to access the Tutorial Topic Calendar FAQ .
- International students are expected to attend and study 20 timetabled hours per week.
Trainers & Assessors
Industry Connections with Work Integrated Learning
Apply in 3 easy steps
1
Prepare
Read through the admissions criteria and ensure you meet the entry requirements.
3
Offer
We’ll contact you to confirm the details and help you through the rest of the process.
Bundle and Save on Visa Costs
Course bundling is when you apply for a series of related courses, instead of just one course, saving you money on your visa costs.
For example, if you are interested in a Certificate II or Certificate III course, you can combine it into a bundle with a related Certificate IV course. Or combine a Certificate IV course with a related Diploma and Advanced Diploma.
Related Courses
CUA50720
Diploma of Graphic Design
10992NAT
Diploma of User Experience Design
BSB50820
